Humans + AI

Join Professor Oren Etzioni, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Washington and founding CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, as he explores the evolution of agentic AI from early software agents to today’s autonomous assistants. Discover how natural language breakthroughs have transformed human-AI interaction, the challenges of building digital trust, and why maintaining human accountability remains essential. Tune in for practical insights on effective interface design, ways to bound AI autonomy, and how AI is democratizing cognitive potential and accelerating expert work.

In this episode, futurist and strategy advisor Ross Dawson, Chairman of Advanced Human Technologies and founder of Informivity, explores how recursive self-improvement and double loop learning are transforming both AI systems and human learning in organizations. Listeners will discover key differences between single and double loop systems, the role of reinforcement learning in AI advancement, and practical steps for integrating effective learning loops to enhance AI-human collaboration. Ross shares why maintaining human judgment is crucial as AI evolves, and offers insights for chief learning officers on redesigning organizational learning for the AI era.

In this episode, David Weinberger—author of 'Beautiful Particulars' and researcher at Harvard MetaLab—explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping Western ideas about universal laws, human cognition, and the value of lived, bodily experiences. Listeners will discover why AI thrives on processing immense particulars and how integrating human generalization with AI’s specificity can build complementary intelligence. Weinberger offers insight into the philosophical impact of technology, the centrality of embodiment for meaning and morality, and an optimistic vision for using conversational AI to deepen learning and curiosity in real-life situations.

In this episode, Nirit Cohen—founder of Workfutures and former senior global people leader at Intel—explores the shifting boundaries between work and life in an era shaped by technology and automation. Drawing on her expertise in digital workplace transformation, Cohen discusses why uniquely human contributions remain critical, how to uncover hidden value within organizations, and the dangers of viewing people as interchangeable with AI. Listeners will gain new perspectives on nurturing adaptability, collaboration, and human-centered leadership as organizations evolve in the face of automation and changing roles.

Join Mickey McManus, Executive Coach and Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group, as he explores the frontiers of embodied intelligence and cognitive scaffolding in AI-driven transformation. Drawing from evolutionary design principles and his experience in innovation labs, Mickey explains how human cognition extends into our environments and how feedback loops—both augmenting and corrupting—shape the future of pro-social AI and organizations. Listeners will gain valuable insights on pace layering, spatial thinking, and hands-on strategies for adopting AI, including ethical considerations at the cutting edge of synthetic biology.